China categorically denies i24NEWS report on Houthi collusion

China's embassy in Israel responded to a report published last Thursday on i24NEWS, which claimed that Beijing had formed ties with the Houthi rebels in Yemen to allow its ships access to Red Sea shipping lanes without fear of being attacked.

Zhang Guoping, the spokesperson for the embassy, addressed the article, which was based on testimony by unnamed US officials:

"Recently, the i24NEWS website published an article titled China Helping Houthis Obtain Weapons for Unmolested Red Sea Passage. It falsely claimed that Houthis obtained advanced components and guidance equipment from China to build ballistic and cruise missiles, threatening security of Israel and Gulf states. We express strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this ill-intentioned article, as it attempts to mislead the readers and sow discord between China and Israel, as well as between China and the Gulf states. 

"China’s position on the situation in the Red Sea is clear. The Red Sea is an important international trade route for goods and energy. We are deeply concerned about the rising tensions in the Red Sea. Since the very beginning of the conflict, China has been making efforts for deescalation, calling for an end to the attack on and disturbance to civilian ships, and urged relevant parties to avoid fueling the tensions in the Red Sea and jointly protect the safety of international sea lanes in accordance with the law.

"China handles the export of military products prudently and responsibly, and the export of dual-use articles, including drones for civilian use, is under strict regulation. China has never provided weapons or components for relevant parties of the conflict. The so-called 'network of supply of sophisticated armaments' and 'complex supply chain' are completely untrue and irresponsible. China is not an initiator of or a participant in the current conflict that keeps escalating. That being said, we have not sat idly by, still less fanned the flames. On the contrary, we have been committed to promoting talks for peace and calling on the relevant parties to uphold security of waterways in the Red Sea. We are ready to continue playing a constructive role in this regard. 

"The article mentioned US’s sanctions on Chinese individuals and companies. I would like to point out that relevant actions of the US lack both the basis in international law and UN Security Council mandate. They are illegal unilateral sanctions and 'long-arm jurisdiction' detrimental to Chinese interests. China firmly opposes the US’s hypocritical move of fanning the flames while deflecting the blame on China. The international community, especially major countries with global influence, needs to play a constructive role in preventing further turmoil in the region, rather than taking advantages of hotspot issues for self-interest.

"China has always been committed to promoting peace, stability and development in the Middle East. We have never interfered in the Middle Eastern countries’ internal affairs, never tried to make exclusive cliques in the region, and never used hotspot issues for geopolitical purposes. We urge i24NEWS to adhere to professional ethics and basic conduct of journalism, uphold the principles of objective, fair and professional reporting, withdraw its groundless accusations against China, and do more things that are conducive to China-Israel relations and the friendly cooperation between the two countries. We ask the i24NEWS to publish our letter and take concrete measures to eliminate the negative impacts that the article caused."